All teams that have toured England have found the conditions rather difficult to adjust to – and that is the beauty of cricket in England.
Indian team coach Ravi Shastri and captain Virat Kohli recently stated that we have “enough time to acclimatise” to the English conditions. But both the T-20 and the ODI series are over and we’re still struggling to find the right balance. This is why a captain and a coach should be careful with their words and statements.
In the last few years, we have done well in Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and South Africa, but in my view, Kohli’s team is not a dominating force yet.
We all know that English conditions offer three seasons in a day and that’s where it becomes difficult to manage the situation. Seniors like me, who have toured England as coach, captain and chief selector, have warned the current crop of Indian players about these conditions. Even players who have played 100 tests or more have struggled in England.
The time has come for the team management to find the right balance. Forner captain Dhoni used to maintain the balance of the side, but later, became very predictable. Virat Kohli is known for his risk-taking abilities and experiments. But the question remains – has it really benefited the team or any individual player?
Kohli & Shastri Not Backing Players in Overseas Condition
The team management has one eye set on next year’s World Cup – but to do well in a tournament like a World Cup, a team needs a settled look. A player needs to be supported and backed, every tour that he goes on. Unfortunately, other than the captain himself, we still don’t know what is going to be the team’s batting or bowling line-up before the beginning of a match.
Just a month back, the Indian team was looking very strong and positive. KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma started with a bang – but suddenly (thanks to the team management’s addiction to experimentation), one got dropped and the other was on his way back to India.
The centuries scored by these two didn’t seem to have proved a point.
Confidence Factor Missing From The Indian Camp
The experiments being carried out on the team by the team management, and the injuries picked up by our strike bowlers, have made things difficult and also raised a lot of questions. Showing confidence in a player has become an on-and-off occurrence. Every player needs to be confident – and for that he needs a good number of games under his belt. That is why I feel bad for KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma.
Test Series Will be a Real Test of Character For Seniors
The test series will be an acid test for seniors like Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Pujara and Shikhar Dhawan. When the Vijays and Dhawans open, it will be test of character for them to survive and play big innings.
Captain Kohli has said that the team has forgotten what happened on the last tour and is ready to take fresh guard. But talking and performance are two different things, and it is the latter that that will make the series very interesting. My advice to the team is to look settled, both in the batting and the bowling departments, because this isn’t a three-match series, but a five-match one.
Once the series starts, both the coach and the captain will have little time to make those adjustments. It is, therefore, very important to play safe.
Captain Kohli Should Apply 6-4 Formula
I personally would love to see the team go in with 6 batsmen and 4 bowlers – rather than Virat’s favourite 5-5 batsmen and bowlers formula. Coach Ravi Shastri’s experience will surely come in handy.
Now that Dhoni is back in India, the team management should take the assistance of seniors like Ganguly, Gavaskar who are on commentary duty in England. Motivational talks with the legends will surely help boost the team’s morale. After all, there is no alternative to experience.
I want Virat’s team to win in England, but for that, every team member has to raise the bar and perform to the best of his ability.
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